Steam-valve



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NFTFD STATES PATENT QFFlE.

HENRY GOULDING, OF' SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GOULDING, of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valve Arrangements for Working Steam or other Elastic Gas or `Vapor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a perpendicular or central longitudinal section of the valve cylinder or case with the valve inserted therein. Fig. 2, is a similar section and view but taken at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3, is a transverse section, taken as denoted by the line fr, a, w, which intersects Figs. l and 2. Fig. et, is a central longitudinal section with the valve removed.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several igures indicate corresponding parts.

My improvement has for its main object the working of steam or other elastic gas or vapor expansively'by an abrupt intermittent action of the valve having only one motion or reciprocating action to effect both supply and cut-olf of the working` vapor, in a manner essentially diifering from that of other abrupt intermittent valve arrangements, also widely differing in its action from the well known eccentric driven or continuously moving supply and cut off, single motion or reciprocating valve of steam and other engines.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, l will here proceed to describe it in connection with the accompanying drawings. y

A, is a valve cylinder in which is situated, for play therein or along, an intermittently reciprocating valve B, of piston form and provided with two grooves or steam passages around it. To facilitate description, it will here be assumed that the valve and its cylinder occupy a. horizontal position and that the arrangement is employed to con trol the action of a steam engine or other piston having a reciprocating action and the cylinder of which is shown in part in Fig. 3.,/

Steam is supplied the valve cylinder A, at an opening N, in a branch Gr, which communicates by inlet passages H, H, with the valve cylinder at or near either of its ends beyond the stroke of the valve piston A, which has steam constantly acting on both 22,641, dated January 18, 1859.

of its ends. On the opposite side to which is situated this supply branch Gr, or bottom of the valve cylinder, are steam ways or ports C, D, communicating by openings near their ends with the front and back ends of the engine cylinder, and communicating with the valve cylinder by openings J, J, within the range of the grooves or circumferential steam passages in the piston valve at all points of its double or reciprocating stroke.

At the sides of the valve cylinder are arranged, the one on one side and the other on the other, steam reservoirs E, F, communicating by openings L, M, with the valve cylinder at points that in the reciprocating action of the valve cause said openings L, M, alternately to be exposed, irst, to the steam space in the valve cylinder beyond either end of the valve and subsequently to the steam passages or grooves around the valve, the one opening to the one groove and the other to the other.

Ho is an exhaust outlet alternately put in communication by the reciprocating action of the valve with the two steam grooves or passages thereof.

The operation is as follows: Supposing the valve B, to be in the position represented in Figs. l and 2, it will be obvious that the steam entering the valve cylinder by the openings H, H, presses on the front and back ends of the valve and that the one side opening L, is uncovered to permit the steam to pass into the one reservoir F, while the reservoir E, which it must here be assumed was filled by steam through the opening M, in the previous opposite position of the valve, is now in communication by said opening M, and front groove around the valve with the one bottom opening J, of the port D, which communicates with the front end of the engine cylinder, under which arrangement of parts the latter named reservoir E, supplies the engine cylinder at its front end with steam to force the engine piston back, while the steam on the other side of the engine piston is being exhausted through the port C, opening J, and back groove around the valve in communication with the exhaust outlet H0. Now it will readily be preceived that though the steam is introduced by the supply pipe Gr, through its openings H, H, at an equal pressure to act upon opposite ends of t-he valve, a slight excess of pressure is felt upon the forward end of the valve when assuming the position represented in Figs. l and 2 by reason of there being a draft of steam from the back end of the valve cylinder and expansion of the vapor to and within the reservoir F, by the side opening L, which has a tendency to slightly reduce the pressure of the steam on the back end of the valve, while the side opening M, of the opposite reservoir E, to the other end of the valve cylinder is shut by the valve from any such draft, the reservoir E, being then, as before described, in discharging communication to the engine cylinder through the opening M, around the front groove in the valve to the one bottom opening J, into and through the port D. Thus the filling of the one reservoir E, to supply the subsequent stroke of the engine causes the steam introduced at either end of the valve cylinder to give a slight excess of pressure on the forward end of the valve, and this slight excess of pressure serves in part or in whole to set the valve in back mot-ion, or reverse it, or to aid in doing so, and whereby the valve may be moved with greater freedom, a slight touch or push being at the most all that is requisite of additional force. This action is widely different, it will be seen, from other steam pressure thrown valves, as in the present instance the supply pipe is furnishing steam at an equal pressure to act upon opposite ends of the valve and the difference of pressure or actuating force of the steam on the valve is due merely to the difference between full pressure at one end and the subdued pressure of the steam at the other end by its draft and expansion into the reservoir being filled.

The steam reservoirs may be arranged at the ends of the valve cylinder and catches be introduced to hold the valve and release it when the difference of pressure in the steam is operating at opposite ends, specified to throw the valve. These reservoirs E, F, mete out the supply of steam to the engine cylinder. They alternately, as described, serve to supply opposite strokes of the engine piston and stand filled in readiness for each succeeding stroke of the engine.

A reverse position of the valve B, to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, produces a like effect upon the opposite end of the valve, the side opening M, in such case being uncovered to pass steam to the reservoir E, to fill it to supply the succeeding stroke of the engine, while the reservoir F, is passing the steam with which it was previously filled to the engine cylinder, by the side opening L, in communication with the back groove in the valve and by the one bottom opening J, and port C, the other port D, then being in communication by the other bottom opening J, and the front groove in the valve, with the exhaust outlet H0. In this way is the steam worked expansively in the engine cylinder by but one abrupt intermittent action of the valve moving at once its full stroke.

To engines or machines having no rotary motion my improvement is specially applicable and in this connection may be instanced the steam hammer, direct acting pump androck drill.

The valve having a smooth and easy, though rapid action, there is but little liability to derangement and it will be apparent that a large economy must result from the use of the steam in so expansive a manner.

The valve may be variously shaped without materially altering the characteristic feature of this my improvement as may also the disposition of the reservoirs and shape or arrangement of the passages.

lV hat f claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Supplying the working cylinder' of the engine or machine, each successive s roke, with its impelling gas or vapor from reservoirs previously charged therewith and under the control of a valve or valves essentially as set forth; the same serving as a substitute for a cut oftl to work the gas expansively in the manner described.

2. Operating a valve in part or in whole by the gas or steam at full pressure from the supply pipe acting to propel it in t-he one direction, when the same is used in concert with an opposing force to the valve produced by the expansion of the gas in its passage to or performance of its work, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the valve B, and valve cylinder or case A, with its reservoirs E, F, and the several inlets or outlets for action together in the manner described, and whereby the one valve B, is made to govern the ingress and egress of the gas to or from the reservoirs as well as to control the inlet and exhaust of. the working cylinder as herein set forth.

HENRY GOULDING.

Wfitnesses JOHN Hor'r, E, V. J orcE. 

